Be Happy Because I Am
by The.Beautiful.And.The.Damned
Summary: From day one you and Draco have been at each other’s throats all because of one moment in which Harry refused to shake his hand"... Hermione Granger has seen a different side to Mr. Malfoy, and she thinks it's time to let Ron and Harry see it too.


**Hey there everyone - Jay here! This is my first post so hopefully I'll get some constructive feedback :).** **Special thanks goes out to Gabby who convinced me to post this! It was supposed to be part of a full fic I'm in the middle of writing, but we felt it did the job on it's own. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** _Yes. I am J.K Rowling. I own everything. Including Tom Felton. Pffft I wish!_

* * *

Hermione sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, the flames from the fire her only light source. She was shaking with anxiety over what was to come. Harry and Ron were taking an awfully long time to come downstairs. She'd arranged the meeting to be at midnight sharp but should have counted on them being at least a little late.

Their absence gave her another chance to go over her speech in her head.

"I have to tell you; it wouldn't be fair otherwise... I know how you both feel..." she muttered small parts of it to herself in hopes of calming her nerves. She didn't need to practice, she knew it off by heart, much like her schoolwork, or anything else really.

The sound of voices from behind prompted her to spin around in her chair, her eyes skipping wildly around the common room for any sign of her best friends. She waited a moment before two voices could be heard coming down the stairs of the boys dormitories.

"Here we go," she breathed.

"I told you not to wake me up if I was asleep," Ron grumbled.

Harry, who hadn't been sleeping very well just shot him a glare, "Hermione said it was important."

"What could be so important that she couldn't just tell us during normal hourraaahhh," Ron finished his sentence with a yawn, his last word barely distinguishable. "Hours," he corrected.

Hermione turned around facing the two single couches opposite her and waited for her friends to take a seat. They did, and with another yawn from Ron and a sigh from Harry, she started on a speech that she hoped would be received with acceptance.

"Thank you for uhh, meeting me here," she played with the hem on her dressing gown in an effort to keep her from looking at them as she spoke. "There's something I need to tell you but before I do, you both have to know how much I love and respect you, and that I'd never intentionally do anything to hurt you..."

Harry's face went pale with worry after her first sentence, but he didn't say a word.

"Harry, do you believe that people can change?"

He glanced at Ron, who shrugged in response, before turning back to Hermione and thinking about the question before answering honestly, "Yes, yes I do."

"And Ron, do you believe that there is a bit of good in everybody- a part of them that can be saved?"

Ron, who had been quiet up until now suddenly seemed very awake, "Hermione, what's this all about?"

She looked down at the woven cream carpet and shook her head, "Please just answer the question," her voice was full of desperation and it was only then that the boys realised she had tears in her eyes.

Ron, knowing very well that Hermione wasn't going to let him get out of it easily, spoke with little apprehension, "No. I don't believe that there is a piece of good in everybody. Good is good and evil is evil. There is no in-between."

At his words the glistening tears that threatened to escape her eyes fell, cascading down her cheeks in a moment that almost broke Harry and Ron's hearts.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Harry, who hated seeing any girl cry, much less his best friend, jumped off the couch and knelt before her. Grabbing her hands in his own he stroked them softly, "Hermione tell us what's wrong."

She uttered a few words that even Harry couldn't hear.

"Hermione," Ron said reproachfully, "Tell us what's wrong- out loud."

"He's changed," she whispered once more, this time they both heard.

"Who?" Both boys questioned her in unison.

Letting go of Harry's hands, she looked upwards, the tears now flowing freely from her eyes.

"Draco," her voice was a whisper, but both Harry and Ron had heard her lips mutter their worst enemy's name, "I care about him."

On impulse, Ron scoffed, "Very funny Hermione."

Harry hung his head between his legs, hoping that this was all a bad dream.

She looked from Ron to Harry, back down at the woven carpet she had come to fancy so much in the last five minutes.

When both Harry and Hermione's actions registered to Ron, he shook his head in disbelief, "You're joking. Hermione, tell Harry you're joking," he said sternly, begging for this to be a joke.

Slowly, Harry's head rose, "She's not joking Ron," much to her surprise Harry's voice stayed calm, "God, how could be we so stupid?"

"How could we be so stupid?" Ron yelled, "What did _we_ do wrong!?"

"We didn't notice," Harry said simply.

Hermione nodded. She should have known Harry would understand.

Ron's eyes widened as realisation dawned on him, "All those late night tutoring sessions with Malfoy? You were never tutoring him were you? That was just the lame excuse you used so you two could--"

"Enough," her head snapped up and her voice commanded Ron to stop the rant she knew was forming in his mind, "It's not your fault."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as more tears escaped, her voice breaking with each word "Harry, you're right; people _can_ change. I've seen it, I've done it. He's not the same Draco Malfoy we met seven years ago, he wants to make a change… he wants to be a better person."

"He wants to get in your pants," Ron muttered.

"Ron!" Harry was a little surprised at his attitude. Hermione on the other hand had been prepared for it.

"From day one you and Draco have been at each other's throats all because of one moment in which Harry refused to shake his hand,"

Ron glared at her, wishing Harry had never woken him up, "You figure that out in one of your make out sessions did you?"

"One moment shouldn't be enough to define a relationship. If it were, you and I wouldn't be friends. When we met onboard the Hogwarts Express in the first year, I know your first impression of me was not exactly good."

"Understatement."

It was Hermione's turn to glare at Ron now, and she did so with perfection as Ron cowered back into his chair, not saying anything further.

Looking back at Harry, her brown eyes practically begging him to understand, "But you gave me a second chance. Now it's time to give Draco one."

"Hermione, you have a point. But it wasn't just in that one moment that Malfoy and I have butted heads. Seven years of name calling and torture. He's the one who dubbed you 'Mudblood'. I just don't understand."

Nodding, Hermione accepted his reasons, but she fought on with a fiery conviction in her heart, "When was the last time he said anything to you? Or called me anything other than my last name? Ron, has he cast any charms on you lately, or called you anything other than Weasley?"

She could tell they were both thinking it over, hard. It was a while, but eventually Harry conceded.

"He hasn't spoken to me in months," Harry admitted.

She knew the same was true for Ron. "I started tutoring Draco four months ago, Harry. Around the same time he stopped being so cruel. I gave him a second chance, and in return he stopped being the jerk he was and became the man he should have been a long time ago. He's been nothing but sweet and kind to me in the last couple of months and _no_ Ronald, not once has he tried to 'get into my pants'. I never needed your approval or your consent for anything I've done in the past, but I _will_ date Draco with or without your blessing,"

Feeling a little braver than she had earlier, she let a small smile form on her lips, "I can't help the way I feel and I won't let anybody ruin it for me. If you really are my best friends, then yes; _be_ worried, _be_ protective, but be _happy_, because I am,"

* * *

**Thank you.**

See that little button in the left hand corner? I'd love it if you'd click that and let me know what you think.

**Thanks a bunch!**

**Jay **


End file.
